The Black Swan
by Derieva
Summary: In New Moon, Bella and Edward die, but death is not the end. They come to a place where darkness rules and where enemies of the past roam. Bella and Edward face lethal dangers, but they realize that not only their second lives are at stake but love, too.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. Bella, Jacob, Edward, the Volturi are all Stephenie Meyers.

**The Black Swan**

* * *

(Bella)

I ran.

The Italian wind, so sweet so warm leapt beside me like a wolf. I thought of Jacob. Then I thought of nothing. The square with the redclad people, thousands of red riding hoods, stretched before me. The sun was a burning blob eating up the blue sky. My mind was by Edward, but there was still a little room for a little thought: why the hell would anyone wear a red robe in this heat? And why the hell would _vampires _live in such a hot place. Vampires. Again Edward obscured everything in my mind.

The passion of my love was thick in my blood. I could feel it rush through the veins. A world without Edward was a world without cause. I couldn't lose him. I couldn't go through even another minute without him. If we were one, a symbiosis, how could we then breathe without the other? A bit of me was angry. What had he thought of, leaving me? Had he never even managed to imagine the hole it tore up in me?

I pushed past red bodies (red bodies, oh how ironic in the vampire lair), didn't even care when they accidentally fell. Who cared? If these people hindered me from saving Edward, I would become vampire and slaughter every one of them. Then the Volturi would kill me. Ah, who would care if Edward would be dead.

Then I saw him. In the alley. A cliché perhaps, but my heart stopped beating. Months I had been without him. Now he was there, only a couple of metres in front of me.

I saw how destroyed he was and tears filled my eyes. He looked like an angel with broken wings.

So I ran.

* * *

(Edward)

I stood in the shadow of the great house and saw the people crowd in the town square. Their scents made the air fuzzy, the sounds of their hearts and minds buzzed as meaningless chatter in my head. I didn't care. I couldn't have had less appetite for blood before than now.

She was dead.

I crippled in agony. It was blue-hot, the pain. It was a flame eating up me until there was nothing nothing nothing. _I _was nothing. Or I wanted to be nothing.

The sky was grey, the people's robes were dark grey. It was scary to realize that the world had lost its colours. I squeezed my eyes. Hard, hard. I should have never fallen in love with Bella Swan. Should have realized it would the end of me and her. Romeo and Juliet couldn't be together, so why could we? Why did I think that everything would be OK? It was stupid, stupid. Ugh. And now I would pay for it.

Never had the sunlight seemed so inviting. I knew the Volturi were nearby, guarding, especially after my little visit. Felix, Jane, Demetri and Alec. Hopefully they would be fast. I wanted death. Besides, living a 100 years took its toll on one. I needed to die. Now was perfect.

My bare feet moved over the cool stones. The first smile for months graced my lips. As I stepped in the sunlight, I saw how the pain started to fade. I would be reunited with my Bella.

For eternity.

* * *

I hope that was fine. It may be a little different to the original story, but I have to do rewrite it a little before I start on the real story. It will continue, naturally. Soon. Btw, this is my first story, so be gentle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, Bella and Edward and the Volturi are all property of Stephenie Meyer**

* * *

(Bella)

He was so close, so close that I could see his skin shimmer as he took the first step into the sun. The first step to the end. But I was close, and I was quick, and I knew with a wildfire joy that I would make it. Edward wouldn't die. We would be reunited, and live and breathe together again. Like we were always meant to. I was born for this love, just as he was. God wasn't cruel enough to break us apart. I _knew _that. I already saw us together.

''Edward!''

What I didn't see was the uniformed man that suddenly stepped in front of me and blocked my Edward out of sight. He didn't wear a scarlet robe like everybody else, but was dressed in a police uniform.

''Perdere, ho bisogno di dire una porala con te,'' he said. ''Siete il proprietario della vettura gialla sportive?''

I wouldn't have understood even if I had listened. It was Italian. I bitterly wished I had taken those Italian classes in Phoenix.

''Please. I don't understand. Can you let me past?'' I desperately tried to push past him but he took hold of my arm. I couldn't even move to see Edward behind him. Panic rose like an acid bubble in me. No, no, _no. _This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

''Hm, you don't speak Italian?'' the police officer asked with a thick accent.''Well, doesn't matter. We can take this in English. Again, are you the owner of the yellow sports car.''

Something glittered behind him. An internal scream tore me up inside. No, no, NO!

I did the only thing I could. Kicked him in the shin, and then in the groin. It was wrong wrong wrong but I didn't care. I could have killed him if I had had any less moral.

He let go with a groan of pain. I pushed past him, ran blindly into the alley, thinking I was running into the open sparkling arms of Edward.

But I wasn't.

I opened my eyes. The alley was empty.

* * *

(Edward)

Felix threw me to the floor. I breathed in the dust and the marble and closed my eyes. Now, now it would come.

The vampire pulled me up to kneel before the three thrones of Aro, Marcus and Caius. Wearily I looked into their ancient onion-like faces. Their scarlet eyes that screamed: _I'm happy to be a monster_.

Aro rubbed his fingers. They clicked as ring met ring on his old hands that were supposed to be dust by now. ''You disappoint us, Edward.''

I didn't answer. There was no need to. I had nothing to say. I had reason to speak before, for Bella, always for Bella, but know.. I didn't think so.

''Such a waste,'' he breathed, his eyes narrowed slightly. I heard the track of his thoughts. _Could have used a damn mindreader. Think, knowing the enemy's thoughts. Foolish boy. Hopefully Heidi has brought some nice blood to calm me. Lord, I'm thirsty._

I felt my hatred and prejudice against these foul creatures rise. They were predators, not else, that nourished on human blood. It was disgusting. I was glad I hadn't bitten Bella and become one of them.

''Well, there's nothing else to say. Felix,'' Aro said lazily, taking his eyes off me and admiring his rings instead. _The Cullens have always bothered me. They think they're too good. Hah! They're cowards._

''You're a coward!'' I growled devilishly as Felix approached.

Aro looked up and his eyes blazed with malice. ''But of course,'' he mocked.

Then I felt Felix hands on my neck. His thoughts were surprisingly clear and simple. _Twist, pull. Twist, pull. Burn the body_.

I guessed working as a servant made you one.

_Twist, pull_.

I closed my eyes, and there Bella was. My heard filled with sweet overpowering love. Thank you, Bella, for the time of love, and Carlisle for taking care of me and thank you Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice.

One minute I was alive and I could feel Felix' hands hardening, then I was dead.

The soft darkness engulfed me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Bella, Edward and the Volturi are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

So, this will be the last chapter before the actual story. Enjoy!

* * *

(Bella)

I was trembling so violently I barely could keep on my legs. My heart beat slowly and painfully, as if it were pumping black ink instead of blood. I had never felt such darkness in me. Such an eclipse obscuring my core. Edward was gone.

Gone.

My cheeks were warm and wet with tears that flowed without end. I inhaled raggedly.

So it was so it felt to break apart. I could see the pieces of me, of Bella Swan, lying strewn on the cobble stones around me. Bits and bits of me that could not ever be put together again.

I went into the sun again and disappeared into the sea of red people. My mind was blank. No Edward.. no Edward. I wasn't fast enough. I couldn't save him.

The pain was so violent, I nearly collapsed, but somehow my feet kept going. I kept going. I felt I had to.

In the crowd, I accidentally noticed a face. I didn't mean to. But I had been around vampires for so long, I knew how to spot one. And the woman was definitely a vampire. She stood smartly in the cool shade of an oak, sunglasses over her eyes, her white skin a violent contrast to the olive tone of the Italian. She was beautiful, Rosalie-beautiful and she was of the Volturi.

I felt myself approaching her, drawn by the mysterious pull vampires pocessed and also the wild hope that Edward might be with the Volturi – and still alive.

''Tour into the insides of the beautiful House of Volterra begin now. Only 32€ for each adult and 16€ child.'' The vampire woman's voice was like honey, sweet and seducing. Immediately a lot of tourists, the only without red clothing crowded around her. I did too. She collected cash and scanned credit cards on a little machine of hers. I took a couple of notes I had taken from my emergency funds and gave it to her. She smiled and showed her perfect white teeth. They reminded me too much of Edward's bite. My heart crumpled in pain and longing.

The vampire led us tourists through a crowd to a grand building at the edge of the square. I was probably the only one not exited about coming through the great oak doors, or walking through a pompous corridor. Flashes of light illuminated the shadows in the building as the tourists took photos. The vampire smiled wickedly. I started to wonder if the tourists would ever come out again.

There were more vampires. I saw them, scattered around the halls. With a spark of fear I noticed they didn't even care to shield their scarlet eyes. But they were so still the tourists took them for statues, creepily human-like statues with divine faces.

Finally, we reached a hall that was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Beautiful because of sunlight streaming in through the windows and illuminating swirling dust. Terrifying because two vampires closed the doors behind us, and there was no other escape.

Terrifying because of the three thrones where vampires gazed down at us lazily. Terrifying because of the ashes lying in the corner.

The ashes.

_No._

I felt my body go soft and jelly-like. It was like falling into a dark hole without end. It was dark. I could literally not see anything.

So I didn't see what happened to the tourists. I only heard the screams, deep guttural sounds. The scent of blood filled the air and sickened me. Ripping myself from the darkness, pulled ever so much by curiousity, I looked around me to see what was happening.

Vampires, everywhere, biting into the necks of the tourists, pressing the warm bodies to their cold, greedily sucking. A body was drained very fast, the blush disappeared from the skin in seconds, until they were as pale as the vampires.

The Volturi.

Now I kind of understood Alice's fear. They were truly monsters.

Soon enough, I was the only one left. Bodies lay strewn everywhere around me, the vampires hadn't wasted a single drop of blood so the marble floor was rather clean. The sight was still repulsive.

I find myself not trembling anymore, but shaking: I knew I was next. At the same time, I welcomed it. In death, hopefully Edward and I would be reunited.

The vampires from the thrones suddenly were in front of me. In a flash I took in their frail onion-like skin and their shiny shiny scarlet eyes. My body was stiff from fear.

''She smells wonderful, doesn't she, Marcus?'' the first vampire breathed, advancing on me. I was so scared I couldn't even move and simply closed my eyes as he came so close I could feel his icy breath cool my brow.

Another voice spoke up. ''Indeed, Aro. I understand now what Cullen found so enticing about her.''

The first vampire, Aro, stroked my neck with his frozen fingers. ''Come, Marcus, Caius. This one we must share.''

My heart throbbed so hard against my ribs, I felt it would break them and then fall out. Let this be quick, let this be quick, _let this be quick_.

Aro striked my neck with the elegant speed of a vampire. Fangs slid easily into my skin, into my bloodstream. I screamed. A scream that ended in nothing, because the acidic pain overwhelmed me. Then the others bit me, one on the shoulder and the other my arm.

It was the worst pain, but blissfully, it was my last.

Soon enough, I began to fade. The pain eased, or it was more like I was crawling out of a burning overall. Peeling it off me. I stepped out of my body, or nearly enough.

I knew what was happening.

I died.

And it was OK, because before Death drew me in, I could see Edward again. He was no longer a vampire but an angel and his feathery warm wings were just before me. I reached out and touched and _felt_. Edward was radiating a silvery glow. He took my hand. I smiled and followed him into the darkness.

* * *

That was that. I hope I managed to recollect the last few events in an orderly fashion. And please, it wouldn't hurt with a few comments. I'd like to know what I need to do better.

Thanks on beforehand,

Derieva.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Edward and Bella are the property of Stephenie Meyer.**

Here comes Post-death:

* * *

(Edward)

I was stuck in warm, dark mud.

At least it felt like it. Like I was drowning in an odd, thick sea. _This couldn't be death_. I knew, because I heard my breathing in dark. Ragged, wheezy. The sound of my heart beating with panic was even louder.

The sound of my heart.

Oh, _oh! _But It couldn't be. It was impossible. Because surely I wasn't _human _again? The odds.. but reality seemed to show me otherwise, I felt hot blood pulsing through my veins and when I touched my flesh it gave way, soft like clay. And the thump of my heart reassured me that I was indeed _alive _again. Still, it was impossible.

The warm, dark mud enveloped me and pulled me deeper deeper. First it reached to the waist, then started coming up to my chest. So this how it felt like to drown in a bog or sink in quicksand.

Panic overwhelmed me. I didn't want to die, which seemed such a silly thought, considering I had just indeed _died_. But I couldn't be dead if my heart was beating, could I? I frowned. This wasn't making any sense.

I had to get up from the mud, that was the only thing I knew for sure. But where would pull myself out onto? I seemed to be in a quite impossible place, like an underground ocean of warm mud and cold, dark air. Perhaps this _was _an underground ocean, who knew? Everything was possible, if I was breathing after dying. And an ocean had to have islands with _beaches_ on which I could take refuge from the mud.

I started to pull my legs out of the mud, but it only resulted in me sinking even deeper. The mud didn't want to let go so easily.

The only way to stop myself from sinking even further, was to stop moving, but if I stopped moving, how would I ever find rescue? The hopelessness of the situation washed over me. I wished I had died properly. Didn't I deserve peace after 100 years of misery? Well, my lifetime hadn't be that deppressing. Especially not when I had met Bella.

Bella. I didn't see her in this creepy place. Quite frankly, I didn't see anything at all because of the darkness. But I would have known if she was here. And she wasn't.

''Bella!'' I still called. No answer. My call didn't bear in the chilly air and died.

I sighed and let the mud suck me deeper to it's dark heart. Maybe if I let it I would die properly. And see Bella.

Suddenly a whisper punc tured the bubble of quiet I was in. ''Edward.''

It wasn't _her _voice, but it was a voice, and I grasped it like it was a buoy. ''Edward, follow the light.''

And once the words were spoken I could see an orange glow spread over the mud ocean. It seemed so far away, unreachable even, but my heart exploded with joy at the sight. Light.

The waves of the mud gleamed black and slick in the light. I tried to detect something else in the darkness, but there was nothing else. There might have been something else, but if I had indeed become human again, my sight couldn't spot it. It was too poor.

So I tried to swim against the light which bobbed in the distance. It was an odd feeling, swimming in mud and the pull sometimes dragged me below the surface so that my mouth filled with the mud, giving a foul, bitter taste. Still, it worked to swim, more or less. But I was so slow. I would probably not reach the light for a thousand lightyears. Well, one has to try.

Had I still been vampire, this wouldn't have been a problem, so for once I wished to become one again. But then I remembered what being a vampire had caused me and regretted it. No one should wish to become a vampire. So much it took from one. I had neglected Bella the possiblity to have children by being with her. Sometimes I had found it silly that she didn't care. As if having a baby was something you could throw away.

Painfully slowly, I neared the light, until it grew and filled my darkness up like a sun. Soon I was just by it and noticed it was a little raft on which a happy flame was burning. I took hold of the raft and pulled myself on it , avoiding the fire. It was so close that it cracked right by my ear.

At least I was out of the mood. But I wasn't out of this dark place, which was a major problem.

''Now what?'' I yelled to the voice that had guided me and showed me to the light. I felt a little stupid calling out into the emptiness, but I was desperate.

But the voice held quiet, and I realized I would have to find a way myself.

Breaking off one of the branches that held the raft together, I used it as an oar to paddle my way over the mud sea.

I began my journey into the unknown.

* * *

Part One of Edward's death-life-human-again situation. Then comes Bella.

It would to get a review or two. So please, just say a word and I'll be happy. Both criticism and praise are open. I'd like to know what I do good and I can do better.

Derieva


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